New Zealand vs. Pakistan, 2010 World Twenty20

New Zealand are always an entertaining team in the limited-overs format, and Pakistan's sheer unpredictability - brilliant one moment, atrocious another - meant that the 2010 World Twenty20 got only its second nail-biting match in 17 games. Chasing a very par score, Pakistan's attack waxed and waned, eventually letting New Zealand sneak home with a 1 run victory.

Put in to bat first, New Zealand's innings ran primarily on the power of Brendon McCullum, whose 33 off 29 balls was more than what Jesse Ryder (7 off 8), Martin Guptill (2 off 10) and Ross Taylor (3 off 7) were able to contribute together. The slow scoring meant that the Pakistani bowlers had some good economy rates to show - Mohammed Aamer conceded only 6.66 from his three overs, while Mohammed Hafeez's three went for 3.66 and Abdur Rehman's three yielded 6.33. It was only adventurous hitting from Daniel Vettori (38 off 34), Scott Styris (21 off 17) and Nathan McCullum (12 off 9, including a six off the last ball that would later prove to be a critical strike) that saw New Zealand reach 133/7. While Pakistan were awful in the field against England, a different team showed up today, saving runs and taking spectacular catches, like the full-length one-handed diving stretch that Umar Akmal used to get rid of Guptill.

Needing 134 from 120 balls, it was only Salman Butt who stood tall with a disciplined 67 off 54, while the rest of his team fell around him. Although the New Zealand bowling was incisive, the fielding was lax, with Scott Styris and Ian Butler both messing up straightforward fielding chances to concede boundaries. Unforgivable when defending such a small total, the Kiwis were helped by Pakistan's own slow approach - Misbah-ul-Haq took 13 balls for his 3, and Kamral Akmal had a strike-rate of 62.50 for the eight balls he faced. Even the batsmen who got going didn't last long: Mohammed Hafeez hit two fours, but only stuck around for four deliveries; Shahid Afridi hit a boundary, but was dismissed off his 9th ball. Abdul Razzaq took a long time to fire, and his three sixes brought Pakistan to the brink of victory. Needing 11 from the last over, Salman Butt his two boundaries to reduce the equation to 3 required off 2. But then new batsman (and non-striker) Abdur Rehman stole a bye, meaning he had to score two off the last delivery. Maybe not a wise choice, as he slogged eventual Man of the Match Ian Butler to deep square leg to give New Zealand victory by 1 run.

Having lost to both England and New Zealand in the Super 8s, Pakistan find themselves facing elimination from the World Twenty20. Their next opponents are South Africa, who they famously toppled in the 2009 semi-final. It's a victory Pakistan will look to inspire them this time around, and one that South Africa will use to fuel their undeniable talent into the ever-elusive victory on the world stage. New Zealand move to their match against England knowing that they still face an uphill challenge to reach the semi-finals, having already lost to South Africa. The close win against Pakistan does no favors to their net run rate, meaning that only England (with two wins out of two) have an assured semi-final berth. For New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa, there is still everything to play for. 

Sri Lanka vs. the West Indies, 2010 World Twenty20

The last time these two teams met, Tillekeratne Dilshan smashed 96* and Angelo Mathews took three wickets in the opening over of the semi-finals of the 2009 World Twenty20. A year later, and with the erstwhile-formidable batting lineup of the Sri Lankans looking shaky, the West Indies sought to turn the tables as the two teams met in Barbados. Unfortunately for them, not much had changed - Mahela Jayawardene stroked an unbeaten 98, falling two runs short of becoming the first player to score two hundreds in international Twenty20 cricket, Kumar Sangakkara found his form again, and the West Indian fielding and batting gave way like a house of cards.

Batting first, Sri Lanka sought to cover for Dilshan's weak form by promoting Sanath Jayasuria to his old haunt of opener. It seemed to work when he slammed Jerome Taylor down the ground for four, but the experiment failed when he perished trying to hook Kemar Roach. 7/1 Sri Lanka, and yet again, a decent opening partnership eluded them. The wicket brought Kumar Sangakkara to the crease, and while he was still on 0, edged a Taylor delivery to Chris Gayle at first slip, who shelled a regulation catch. Needing no further invitation, Sangakkara and Jayawardene launched an offensive that saw a boundary scored between overs 3 and 14. In the 15th over, Andre Fletcher missed a tricky chance to stump Jayawardene, who survived another scare two balls later when a skied edge landed between Fletcher and Wavell Hinds, who both expected the other to take what should have been a basic catch. Sangakkara finally fell for 68 to Dwayne Bravo. Going into the last over, Mahela Jayawardene found himself stranded at the non-striker's end on 98, while Chamara Kapugedera hit a four, was bowled, and replaced by Tillekeratne Dilshan, who hit a confidence-rebuilding boundary off the only ball he faced. Sri Lanka finished with a massive total of 195/3; Jayawardene top-scored and Kemar Roach took  4-0-27-2. 

Opening for the West Indies, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle needed to deliver something special, and with Chanderpaul hitting Mathews' second over for 14, it seemed like we'd get it - until Mathews had him caught at short third man. Chris Gayle fell to a terrible shot the next over, caught by Mathews, who continues to plague the Windies in the T20 format. With both openers gone, the fight seemed to go off the home team, with Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan content to rotate the strike and pick the odd boundary. The required run rate was already up to 12.40 when Lasith Malinga removed Bravo for a run-a-ball 23. Sarwan fell shortly afterwards, caught and bowled by Ajantha Mendis for 28 from 33. The pattern continued, with the rest of the batsmen taking singles, hitting a boundary and getting out. With 59 needed off the last ball, Mathews dropped a skier from Jerome Taylor. It was the only blemish from an otherwise exemplary Sri Lankan performance. The West Indies ended their innings at 138/8. 

Sri Lanka will be relieved that they rediscovered their winnings ways after a close loss to New Zealand and an unconvincing victory over Zimbabwe. Kumar Sangakkara's return to form will shore up a shaky lineup where a solid opening partnership still proves elusive. As good as the bowling performance was, Sri Lanka have to bid farewell to Muttiah Muralitharan, who aggravated his groin injury and flew home. For the West Indies, everything went wrong - the bowling lacked any sting, the fielding was atrocious, and the batting caved in after Gayle and Chanderpaul were dismissed. Sri Lanka move to their Australia match on a cautious high, while the West Indies lock horns with India, with elimination looming for both teams.

 

Australia vs. India, 2010 World Twenty20

The battle of the juggernauts turned out to be a one-sided slaughter, as Australia easily overwhelmed India in Barbados. The overall strength of the victory suggests that Australia's jinx Twenty20 World Cup jinx may be coming to an end, while India need two wins from their next two games if they plan on reaching the semi-finals.

Put in to bat by India, openers David Warner and Shane Watson conceded a maiden over to Harhbajan Singh, who opened the bowling. I really like this (inevitable) tactic by captains, opening with slow bowlers. If Twenty20 cricket has gifted anything to the game at large, it's innovation - whether scooping the ball over the wicketkeeper's head, slapping the ball back into play over the boundary, or attempting to stymie runs by starting proceedings with a spinner. It worked in this game, and with one over down without scoring, India might have entertained thoughts of a relatively comfortable run-chase.

That was about as good as it got for the Indians, as Warner and Watson put the pedal to the metal and rarely looked back. Ashish Nehra's over went for 12, and despite Harbhajan keeping things tidy from his end, none of the other bowlers were spared. Ravindra Jadeja was hit for three consecutive sixes off the last three balls of his first over by Shane Watson, and another hat-trick of sixes by David Warner off his next over, effectively conceding 36 runs in 6 balls. When Watson was finally bowled by Yousuf Pathan, his 54 contained six 6s to his single 4, such was his dominance. After Warner (72, seven 6s and two 4s) and David Hussey (35) fell, India did very well in ensuring that the Australians did not get over 200. It certainly seemed like that would be the case, with the 100 coming up in the 10th over, but Australia finished very handily at 184/5, a run-rate of 9.20 per over. Harbhajan Singh was the only bowler treated to a modicum of respect, his four overs going for just 15.

While India exposed Afghanistan's weakness to the short ball, this time they were on the receiving end, as Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait peppered the top order with bouncers. After many attempted hooks and swishes, India were reeling at 23/4, and then slumped to 50/7, with every Australian bowler getting into the action. Rohit Sharma stood alone with a defiant 79 off 46 (four 4s, six 6s), but the next highest score was 13 by Harbhajan Singh. No other batsmen scored in double-digits. A yorker from Shaun Tait to Ashish Nehra ended the Indian innings at 135 in the 18th over, giving Australia victory by 49 runs.

So Australia continue their unstoppable streak, manhandling India without ever breaking into a sweat. India's only positive came from not folding for under 100, which would have wrecked their net run-rate and made their next match (against the West Indies) a do-or-die encounter to stay in the tournament. That said, their bowlers were smashed and their batsmen (save Rohit Sharma) were slaughtered, and at the end of this match, they were left with a lot of work to do. Australia move to their game with Sri Lanka on a confident and aggressive note. 

England vs. Pakistan, 2010 World Twenty20

England and Pakistan had the honor of kicking off the Super 8s round of the 2010 World Twenty20. Somewhat disappointingly, none of the minnow teams made it this far, although Afghanistan took home many positives and Ireland threatened an upset in their rain-hit match against England. The upside is that with only the big guns left from now, we should be guaranteed some serious matches. Unfortunately, Pakistan vs. England, while deadly serious and having all the hallmarks that make Twenty20 interesting, didn't leave us on the edge of our seats, biting our fingernails down to the quick. England cantered home by seven wickets, a victory architected by Kevin Pietersen and Pakistan themselves.

Put in to bat first, Pakistan got off to a dream start, with Kamral Akmal majestically hooking the first ball from Ryan Sidebottom for six. He and opener Salman Butt continued to score at 7 an over until the fifth over, when Stuart Broad had him caught behind for 15. As Pakistan were pushing the run rate closer to 8 per over, two wickets fell in the eleventh over, bowled by Michael Yardy. Skipper Shahid Afridi was one of them, insanely run out off the first ball he faced. 76/2 became 78/4. Going into the antepenultimate over, Pakistan were only 123/7, but a combination of loose bowling and lucky hitting allowed them to finish with 147/9. England would have rued gifting so many runs in the death, and Pakistan had only Salman Butt and Umar Akmal get scores in the 30s. At the innings break, it was (dis)honors even for both teams. 

Much like Pakistan, England started their innings positively, as Michael Lumb flicked Abdul Razzaq's first ball to the square leg boundary. Things got worse for Pakistan when Sajeed Ajmal dropped Craig Kieswetter off the last ball of the over. Ajmal later dropped a dolly of a catch off Lumb in the fifth over, but redeemed himself when he was called on to bowl immediately afterwards, having Lumb stumped for 25. Kieswetter looked in very good touch, but departed for only 25. Ajmal's curse passed to Abdul Razzaq, who dropped a missile from Pietersen off his own bowling. To add insult to injury, Pietersen dispatched him for 4 from the next ball. With the required run rate under control, England could afford to rotate the strike and grab the odd boundary with no pressure. Pietersen brought his fifty up off 37 balls, and even though Afridi accounted for his captain counterpart Paul Collingwood (16), the writing was on the wall for Pakistan. 

Pakistan might take some solace from the fact that they were easily rolled over in the last Twenty20 World Cup by England, only to famously win the tournament at Lord's. It's one of just two positives they can take from this game - their batting was weak and efficient, their fielding was horrendous, and only the bowling of Mohammed Amer and Sajeed Ajmal was impressive. Pakistan move to a must-win encounter against New Zealand (something they are no strangers to). England can't afford to rest on their laurels too long, because their next game is against South Africa. Kevin Pietersen is in good form, and he always brings his best game against his old countrymen. Lumb and Kieswetter both get good starts for England, but they're due for a big innings. The bowling will be a concern - Ryan Sidebottom and Tim Bresnan were both very wayward with their line and length. South Africa may have a reputation for choking, but they're never a team you want to take lightly. 

India vs. Afghanistan, 2010 World Twenty20

Afghanistan, the feel-good team of the tournament, had plenty to feel good about their first major international cricket match (and probably their first international sports appearance following the overthrow of the Taliban regime). Unfortunately for them, they were up against an Indian team that is determined to make up for their poor showing in the 2009 World Cup. Afghanistan ended up losing by 7 wickets with 5 overs to spare, but they can feel justifiably proud of their accomplishment, and confident that they lived up to the hype.

Losing the toss, Afghanistan batted first and found themselves in early trouble against the bouncers of Ashish Nehra and Praveen Kumar. Mahendra Singh Dhoni took four catches behind the stumps, almost all of them coming off attempted hooks and evasive action. At 29/3 in the 6th over, Afghanistan's introduction to international cricket was starting to look messy, but opener Noor Ali and Asghar Stanikzai combined to stop the rot - their 68-run partnership was highlighted by Stanikzai striking three sixes, and Noor Ali becoming the first Afghan player to register a half-century in a top tier tournament. He eventually fell for 50 off 48 balls. Stanikzai was the only other player to score in double-figures (30 off 33), but Afghanistan ended their innings on a reassuring note, having batted out all 20 overs and still having two wickets intact.

India do not have Virender Sehwag in their arsenal for this World Cup, and when Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina fell cheaply, Afghanistan might have fancied their chances for making India sweat a little. However, Murali Vijay hit two 4s and three 6s in his 48, Yuvraj Singh made a neat little 23 and MS Dhoni smoked 15 off 6 to deliver India a comfortable victory. Nehra picked up the Man of the Match award 4-0-19-3.

So after a match that will remembered more for its trivia than its result (Who did Afghanistan face in their first major international match? Who scored the first 50 for Afghanistan in World Cups?), India move to a stiffer challenge, against South Africa. So will Afghanistan, who for all their spirit and determination, will never have faced anyone with the speed and hostility of Dale Steyn. Their weakness against short-pitched bowling would have had the South African seamers licking their lips like crocodiles at a watering hole. It's a flaw that will be corrected with time, exposure and experience. Afghanistan's fielding was alternately inspired and weak, which effectively sums them up at this stage of their development. They have plenty to be proud of, even in defeat to India, but they probably can't help wonder how they came to be in such a tough group.

 

 

England vs. the West Indies, 2010 World Twenty20

Despite England's best efforts, their World Cup campaign got off to wet start in Guyana. Against the host team (who were facing their first senior competition of the tournament), England found themselves with a very handy total at the innings break, but a lengthy rain delay and an onslaught by Chris Gayle meant England's game against Ireland would become a make-or-break encounter. As for the West Indians, two victories in two games saw them comfortably through to the next stage of the tournament.

Gayle won the toss and, convinced that rain would become a factor in the game, chose to field first. England opened with Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter, both South African-born and both making their international debuts for England. After a solid start, Lumb departed first, bowled by Gayle for 28. Kieswetter and the other South African-born England player, Kevin Pietersen, combined for 30 runs before Kieswetter was adjudged LBW to Nikita Miller (26). Paul Collingwood was dismissed for 6 following an ill-advised attempt at a Dilscoop. After smashing a magnificent six over square leg, Pietersen attempted the same shot the next delivery, but was caught for 24, leaving England in a spot of bother at 88/4. Irish-born Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright consolidated, and then accelerated putting on 95 in 9 overs. Morgan made a brilliant and innovative 55 from 33 before falling to a good catch, and Wright biffed 45 off 27 (four sixes to his one four), as England recovered very well to post 191/5 at the end of their 20 overs. 

Needing 9.6 an over, Chris Gayle got the West Indian innings off to a murderous start, butchering 15 runs from Ryan Sidebottom's first over. Halfway through the third over, the rains came down, and the word from the match referee was that the revised target would be 60 from 10 overs - and thanks to Gayle, the Windies had already scored half of that. England were duly horrified that their hard work in the first innings had been undone by the Duckworth-Lewis system, but made a game of it: Grame Swann removed Gayle and Kieron Pollard in the same over, Pollard falling to an exceptional stumping by Craig Kieswetter. Michael Yardy bowled a tight over to take the game to the "final over", the West Indies needing 8 from 6. It was looking good for England until Stuart Broad gave Andre Fletcher a short ball down the leg side. Fletcher sent it for four and cantered a single off the next ball to give the West Indians victory by 8 wickets. 

Having manhandled Ireland in their first game, the host team easily qualified for the Super Eights. England, however, were left to rue a lost toss, rain rules and the bat of Chris Gayle. They would have greatly fancied their chances, setting the West Indies 192 from 120 to win. Coming back after the rain interruption, the equation was reduced to a basic 33 off 22. The loss to the West Indies meant that England's next game (against Ireland) became a must-win for them. Disappointed as though they no doubt will be, they could take positives from the showing of Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb as openers, Kevin Pietersen's brief cameo and the audacious strokeplay of Eoin Morgan, who left Ireland to play for England, only to find himself facing his old teammates in a do-or-die World Cup encounter. 

Sri Lanka vs. Zimbabwe, 2010 World Twenty20

After losing their opening game to New Zealand, Sri Lanka found themselves in the rare position of facing first-round elimination. For their part, Zimbabwe found themselves in the rare position of confidence, having defeated the best team in the world (Australia) and the reigning Twenty20 world champions (Pakistan) in the warm-up games. Add to the mix that Twenty20 levels the playing field between teams of opposite experience and skill, and the questionable form the Sri Lankan batsmen have been in, and we had all the makings of a real upset.

Sri Lanka batted first, and yet again, Tillekeratne Dilshan's wicket fell cheaply (2 off 4). His mojo seems to have passed to Mahela Jayawardene. True, the bowling attack might not have been one to write home about, but the way Jayawardene effortlessly brought up his first, and only the fourth, century in Twenty20 International cricket, doesn't leave much room for criticism. Barring the shot that dismissed him, there was never a single ugly swipe or mow in his innings - the bat was straight, the wrists were quick, and the feet moved gracefully. The next highest score in the innings was 23, by Thissara Perera. Kumar Sangakkara had another disappointing time with the bat, scoring only 3 before softly chipping Grame Cremer to the ever-entertaining Ray Price, who, with 4-0-31-2, was the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers. Sri Lanka finished their innings at 173/7.

Rain was in the air when it was time for the Zimbabweans to bat, and everybody was left looking at a plethora of confusing scenarios. If the rain persisted such that less than five overs of the Zimbabwean innings could be bowled, the match would be called off; both teams would get a point each, and Sri Lanka's continued presence in the tournament would depend entirely on the Zimbabwe/New Zealand game. If there was enough time for five overs to be bowled, Zimbabwe would face a Duckworth/Lewis target, which would benefit them. From Sri Lanka's perspective, they needed the match to continue as normal, in order to give themselves a better chance of bowling Zimbabwe out without having to worry about net run rates and the result of the Zimbabwe/NZ game.

Ajantha Mendis bowled a tidy opening over before the heavens actually did open. When play resumed, Zimbabwe's revised target was 106 off 11 overs, which necessitated a run rate of 10 an over. Hamilton Masakadza was comically run out in the second over, but Brendon Taylor and Tatenda Taibu rarely deviated from simply nudging the ball from ones and twos. Over the next three overs, there was only one attempt at a boundary (which failed). When the rain returned at the end of the 5th over, at 23/1, Zimbabwe were behind the D/L par score of 43. In that 5th over, Taylor survived both an LBW shout and a run out attempt. Had either been given, the delay in getting a new batsman to the crease might have ensured that the fifth over was not completed, nullifying any result, giving both teams a point and moving Sri Lanka closer to the exit. As it was, the complexities of the situation meant that Sri Lanka benefitted from the appeal being turned down; the fifth over was not interrupted by a dismissal, and the innings - and the game - closed just as the rains returned.

So Zimbabwe lost by 14 runs in a game where Duckworth-Lewis was the only real winner. Sri Lanka will be relieved that they avoided any embarrassment, but the form of their batting lineup (save Jayawardene) will weigh heavily on their minds. Zimbabwe move to the New Zealand game knowing that they troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen with the ball, but their own batting failed to even get close to the D/L par score (even though, at one point, no one knew what the required score was). After a cracking start to the tournament, the rain is threatening to spoil the whole parade. 

Ireland vs. the West Indies, 2010 World Twenty20

The tournament's hosts took on one of the more notable underdogs of international cricket, as the West Indies faced Ireland in the second game of the ICC World Twenty20 2010. Unfortunately, Ireland didn't live up to their reputation, folding for 68 all out and being unable to capitalize on a tidy and tight bowling performance, and some key West Indian players being rested.

 With captain and key weapon Chris Gayle stepping aside for the night, the West Indies had the potential of slipping - the memories of their losses to Zimbabwe a few months ago can't be too far. And with the scorecard reading 93/6, Ireland were definitely in control by the 15th over. None of the home team's batsmen had been able to get going, with the highest score at that point being Ramnaresh Sarwan's 24. Seventeen-year old slow left arm orthodox George Dockrell did most of the damage, taking 3 for 16 from his four overs. But with the West Indies staring down the barrel, Darren Sammy blasted 30 off 17 deliveries to take his team to a competitive (in these Guyanese conditions) 138 for 9. Ireland conceded only 1 wide and 1 no-ball, and left the field feeling very satisfied with their bowling performance. 

As it turned out, that was about as good as things got for them. Irish skipper William Porterfield nicked the first ball of the innings for four, but was caught by Sammy off Kemar Roach two balls later. From there, it was a procession of wickets as Ravi Rampaul (3-0-17-3) and Sammy (3.4-0-8-3) ensured Ireland were never in with a chance. Not satisfied with taking top-scoring in the batting innings, Sammy took three wickets and held four catches, a record in Twenty20 Internationals. Only Gary Wilson scored in double figures (17 off 34). While Ireland were frugal with their extras, the West Indies could afford to be generous, but the 11 wides will be a point for their bowling coach to look at.

As good as a win would have been for world cricket and the underdogs, it was important the West Indies got their campaign off to a winning start. Considering the empty stadiums and dead atmosphere during the 2007 World Cup, having the home team stick around this time ensures that the crowds will follow them (at least for their games). As for Ireland, they can feel satisfied with how they did with the ball, but their batting will obviously worry them - especially in this format, which allows the underdogs to level the playing field. With Ireland seriously pursuing Full Member status with the ICC, a score of 68 all out will not help their case.  

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 2010 World Twenty20

The last time an international cricket tournament was held in the West Indies, it was a turgid, unmitigated disaster. However, if the opening game of the ICC World Twenty20 2010 is anything to go by, the ghosts of the 2007 World Cup won't be making a reappearance. New Zealand scratched their way to a two-wicket win against Sri Lanka in a match that ebbed and flowed both ways, and got the 2010 World Cup off to a very good start.

Mahela Jayawardene opened the batting with Tillekeratne Dilshan, and while Dilshan's poor form continued (bowled for 3 off 19), Jayawardene played a typically classy knock on his way to 81, his highest score in Twenty20 Internationals. Aside from debutant Dinesh Chandimal (29), none of the other batsmen stuck around. Scoring was difficult on the sluggish Providence wicket, with the Sri Lankan 50 coming up in the 10th over.

 Going into the last over, Sri Lanka were 128/4, but could only score seven from it, as Shane Bond took two wickets in three balls. Sri Lanka finished their innings at 135/6; Jayawardene top-scored at 81, and Bond was the most successful New Zealand bowler with two wickets.

With 136 to win, the Kiwis sent Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder to open. McCullum didn't last long, spooning Mathews to midwicket in what turned out to be a wicket maiden. The Black Caps took the momentum back with 11 runs off debutant Chanaka Welegedera's first over. As New Zealand cruised along (their 50 came up in the 8th over), the pressure started to get to the Sri Lankans, with relatively simple run-out chances being missed. 

Muralitharan and Jayasuria bowled both Ryder (42) and Martin Guptill (19) in consecutive overs.  From there, the runs started to dry up for the Kiwis, as Murali got Ross Taylor for 9. With 41 required off 24 balls, Ajantha Mendis sent  Scott Styris back for 17, but new batsman Jacob Oram smacked him for two consecutive sixes that same over. 20 from 12, and after being pasted in his first over, Welegedera bowled Oram - advantage Sri Lanka. Gareth Hopkins was run-out off the next ball, but skipper Daniel Vettori swiped a boundary, and Nathan McCullum scrambled three runs off a missed run-out chance, leaving New Zealand 10 runs to get off the final six balls. 

Trusting Lasith Malinga's death-bowling instincts, Sangakkara gave the ball to his main pace striker. After taking a single, Vettori ran for a bye, and Malinga missed a basic run-out chance, with all three stumps to aim and the batsman nowhere near the crease. McCullum swept a boundary for four to make it 4 required off 3 balls, before Vettori ran himself out. Requiring 3 from 2 with two wickets left, Nathan McCullum flat-batted a low six over long off to take New Zealand home.

It may have lacked the flair and pizzazz of the Indian Premier League, but I daresay this single match made up for it with far more entertainment and thrills. The slow pitches in the West Indies will hopefully redress the imbalance between bat and ball that Twenty20 creates, and to see Angelo Mathews' wicket maiden and Ross Taylor's brilliant catch suggests that we're in for a competitive, fighting tournament. 

Tony Jaa: The Top Shelf of Martial Arts Cinema

I didn't really understand martial arts movies until I saw a "making of" feature of one of Jackie Chan's dazzling 1990's productions. In it, Chan boiled down his creative process to the kernels of individual fight sequences, explaining that he usually gets ideas for fight choreography before he comes up with a story to justify his set pieces. I firmly believe that this shouldn't be taken as a shallow, substance-free approach to film making. Honestly, it seems more genuine and focused to build a story around a cool fight than to try to shoehorn cool fights into an existing story. That in mind, the work of martial artist/stunt man Tony Jaa and his collaborator Prachya Pinkaew is essential to modern action cinema.

A friend of mine introduced me to Tony Jaa through Ong-Bak 2, an unassuming action movie that has been making the rounds at most video stores for the past few months. I said that I really ought to see the first before I took on the sequel, to which my friend just laughed and said that the story isn't really the point of the series. One way or another, the paper-thin plots of Jaa/Pinkaew productions are just excuses to show off the unique flare of the Muay Thai fighting style.

Both films in the Ong-Bak series are some of the most consistently entertaining action movies I've seen in years. This has everything to do with Tony Jaa's skills as a screen fighter. He's Exhibit A in the case for casting martial artists in fighting movies rather than dedicated actors. What a lot of people don't know is that your standard Hollywood beat-em-up is nothing but a string of dizzying editing tricks designed to make viewers think the action is fast-paced and intense. The truth is that most of the movements those beefy blockbuster stars make are slow and deliberate, only sped up in post-production.

One look at the DVD special features of any given Tony Jaa movie makes it clear that the star really is as quick, nimble and focused as he appears in the final cut. Raw footage of his amazing stunts and choreographed fights reveal a martial artist who does with strength, balance and momentum what most actors can only do with wires and camera magic. This makes all the difference in the world. Viewers experience something real with these movies.

The icing on the cake of Ong-Bak and to a lesser extent Jaa and Pinkaew's sophomore effort Tom-Yum-Goong is that what little story is there tends to be a cut above the cheesy action fare of the West. There is a streak of Thai patriotism in them, a drive to show outsiders that there's more to Thailand than just the lurid appeal of Bangkok. Jaa's heroes, uniformly put-upon country boys with unshakable principles, have a purity to them that has been lost to American cinema since the advent of the anti-hero.

Tony Jaa's films along with other impressive Thai features like Chatrichalerm Yukol's The Legend of Suriyothai indicate a wave of stunning cinematic ambition coming out of 21st century Thailand. It's akin to the fabulous cinema of pageantry that gripped Hollywood in the 1930's and 40's. Free from cynicism and imbued with a rich culture, these films are some of the most impressive to come out of Asia in decades.

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